New capabilities include simultaneous HDR and SDR output with independent adjustments, and 4K/UHD output over single-link 12Gbps SDI connectivity.

First previewed at NAB Show New York last fall, the CU-HD550 and its companion CA-HF550 camera adapter collectively lower the cost of entry for 1080p60 video production, says Hitachi. It is also compatible with interlaced Z and SK-series Hitachi HDTV cameras and with Hitachi Kokusai’s 1080p60-native camera heads.

“When used with an HDR-capable Hitachi camera model such as the SK-HD1800, new dual-workflow functionality in the CU-HD550 enables parallel HDR/SDR acquisition with a single camera by providing separate video shading adjustments for HDR and SDR outputs. This allows producers to fine-tune each output path for optimal results, helping them to create superior-quality content for distribution to both modern and legacy display platforms without the significant cost and operational burden of separate cameras,” says the firm.

Meanwhile, a new configuration of the CU-HD550 helps smooth producers’ transition from HD to UHD by transforming natively-acquired HD video to 4K resolution and outputting the result over single-link 12G-SDI. The 4K output functionality supports HDR when used with an HDR-enabled camera, while the color matrix of the 12Gbps SDI output can be switched between ITU-Rec.709 and BT.2020 color spaces.